Are you thinking of selling your Macbook Pro? If so, it’s important to make sure you reset your device before handing it over to its new owner. Resetting your Macbook Pro will erase all of your personal data and settings, making sure that the new user won’t have access to any of your information.
To begin resetting your Macbook Pro, turn on the device and then press and hold the Option, Command, P, and R keys together for about 20 seconds. This will clear user settings from memory and restore certain security features that may have been changed.
Once you’ve done this, you should open the System Preferences menu by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen. Then click on General in the sidebar and click Transfer or Reset on the right-hand side. A new window will appear giving you two options: Transfer Information To Another Mac or Erase All Contents and Settings. Select Erase All Contents and Settings if you want a full reset of your Macbook Pro before selling it.
In the Erase Assistant window that appears next, enter your administrator information and click Unlock. You will be asked to review items that will be removed in addition to any content or settings stored on your device before confirming that you want to proceed with the reset process. Once everything is confirmed, click Done at the bottom right-hand corner of the window and wait for the reset process to complete; this can take several minutes depending on how much data is being erased from your Macbook Pro.
When this is finished, all personal data and settings will have been erased from your device making it ready for its new owner!
Clearing a Macbook Pro Before Selling It
Before selling your Macbook Pro, it’s important to clear it for the new owner. To do this, start by backing up any important data on your device. You can store it in the cloud or transfer it to an external drive.
Once you have your data backed up, you’ll need to reset your Macbook Pro. To do this, turn on your device and press and hold the Option, Command, P, and R keys together for about 20 seconds. This will clear any user settings from memory and restore certain security features that may have been altered.
You’ll then want to erase all of the data from your hard drive so that the new owner cannot access any of your personal information. To do this, open up Disk Utility in the Utilities folder of Applications and select Erase on the main window. Select the hard drive you want to erase and click Erase once more to confirm.
Finally, sign out of all of your accounts such as iCloud or iTunes before selling or giving away your Macbook Pro. Once everything is cleared out, you’re ready to pass it along!
Completely Wiping a Macbook
To completely wipe your Macbook, you’ll need to erase all of its contents and settings. First, open System Preferences and click General in the sidebar. Then, click Transfer or Reset on the right side and select Erase All Contents and Settings. You’ll be asked to enter your administrator information and then unlock the Erase Assistant. Review the items that will be removed in addition to your content and settings, including system files, user accounts, apps installed from the App Store, network settings, keychains, and certificates. Finally, click Erase Now to initiate the wiping process. The wiping process may take some time depending on how much data is stored on your Macbook. Once it’s complete, you’ll have a clean slate to start fresh with a new operating system or reinstallation of your current OS.
Source: appleinsider.com
Does a Mac Factory Reset Delete All Data?
Yes, a Mac factory reset does delete everything. When you use the “Erase All Content and Settings” option, it will securely erase all of your settings, data, and apps. It is important to note that this process will not remove the operating system currently installed on your Mac. After the reset is complete, you will need to reinstall any software and applications you want to use.
Erasing Everything on a Mac and Starting Over
To erase everything on your Mac and start over, you can use the Erase Assistant tool. First, open System Preferences from the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen. Then select ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ from the menu bar. You will be asked to confirm your choice; once you do, all data on your Mac will be permanently deleted. Be sure to take a backup of any important files before proceeding! Once the process is complete, your Mac will be restored to its original factory settings.